One Rainy Afternoon
by summerislife
Summary: I liked to think rain was a sign something new was here, something fresh, something good. Something that could wash away everything else as you just tilt your head up to the sky and embrace it. Demi/Selena
1. Thank God for the French

Hi! So, this is my first time uploading on FanFiction, but I've written several stories that I've posted on YouTube (including this one). Review please!

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><p>It was pouring down rain on that day. I had always loved rainstorms; the way they can be a peaceful downpour or a powerful force of nature with booming thunder and flashes of lightning, the way they were unstoppable and the way they were absolutely fascinating. Some people thought they were dreary, but I liked to think rain was a sign something new was here, something fresh, something good. Something that could wash away everything else as you just tilt your head up to the sky and embrace it.<p>

"You're crazy," I said, rolling my eyes at my friend Miley.

We were walking to class in the Arts wing of our high school. At the moment, we were in the gallery.

"And this is the Caroline Gram Building, where we have Art History," a voice said loudly. Miley and I looked over our shoulders at the same time.

Our over-achiever friend named Nick Jonas was walking in with a girl I didn't recognize. I paused to wait for them- we went to a small school and every new student was a welcome addition. I wondered idly if we would be friends.

"Hey, Nick."

"Hey," Nick said, stopping in front of us. "This is Selena. Uh, Selena Gomez. She's new here." Nick sounded a little nervous.

"You don't say," I said, smiling at the girl. "Hi, I'm Demi."

"Hi, I'm- well I guess you already know that."

The girl- or I guess I should say, Selena- blushed at her mild verbal fumble. It was cute and made me smile. She just looked back at me as we smiled at each other.

"Hey, I'm Miley."

Selena's eyes broke away from mine and looked at Miley. "Nice to meet you."

"Are you in our next class?" I put in.

"What's your next class?" she asked, a smile playing at her lips.

Now it was my turn to blush.

"Oh, um, art history."

"Then, yeah, I'm going there now."

"Well, then let's go," Nick said, ushering us towards the hall. "If we're late one more time…"

I rolled my eyes at his inclination towards trouble, but sped up anyways. Mr. Green was no laughing matter when you ticked him off… and I wanted to stay close to Selena. I had noticed Nick had put his fingers on her elbow when he had hurried us up- and that they were lingering. Nick wasn't going to scoop this one up.

We entered the room in the nick of time. Sadly, we also arrived before I could talk to Selena some more. I had this feeling that she was going to be someone special. There were times when I automatically had a feeling about the future and I was almost never wrong.

Miley went to our usual table in the center of the room and I was obliged to follow her. Still, I watched Nick talk to Mr. Green for a moment- what a brownnoser- then lead Selena to a table on the other side of the room.

I wondered what color her eyes were. It was funny how you could stare into someone's eyes and be so taken by them that you don't even notice color they were.

"Rembrandt was a Renaissance artist who-" Mr. Green began.

That was the thing about this class. The artists we learned about were brillant and I would kill to go to a place like the Louvre or the Sistine Chapel, but Mr. Green began his lectures without warning or flavor.

I had just read an article about Rembrandt and his works, so I figured I was good to go. I glanced around the room and my eyes happened to land on the Selena. She was sitting up right on a stool, taking notes while a wavy strand of hair fell upon her face. Smiling softly, I pulled out my sketchbook and my favorite charcoal pencil and let it slide over the paper, losing myself in the portrait.

I was so into it that I jumped a little when Miley slipped a piece of folded paper towards me. Putting my pencil down, I quietly unfolded it.

Crushing on the new girl?

I shot Miley a look. I had admitted to her that I liked girls at the beginning of the school year a few months ago, and now, she loved to say things like that to tease me. Well, at least she was supportive. I wrote a reply back and pushed the paper to her side of the table.

You are SO psycho!

You aren't denying it!

I don't want to jump every girl I meet, Miley.

Whatever. But you might want to move fast- Nick seems to have an eye on her, too.

I didn't bother scribbling back a response- I could almost hear Miley's smug tone and it kind of pissed me off that she could be right. Giving her another death stare, I returned to my sketch of Selena, but now, I was too unsettled to work on it anymore. I turned to give Miley yet another look, but she was all-too-innocently listening to Mr. Green's lecture.

I sighed and rested my chin on my hand while gazing across the room at Selena. Oddly enough, the sight of her calmed my unsettled state. Refreshed, I turned to a blank page in my sketchbook and began anew.

Ever since I had taken a few drawing classes a couple of years ago, I had been hooked on putting anything interesting I saw on paper. I glanced up to check if I had her eyebrow right to see her looking back at me. My first instinct was to blush and look down, but I comforted myself in the reasoning that the only reason she caught me looking was because she was looking, too. Instead, I smiled and mouthed, 'Hi.'

She smiled back and also mouthed, 'Hi,' then made a scribbling motion in the air, as though to ask what I was drawing. I winced at the thought of her knowing what I was putting in my sketchbook at the moment, and just shrugged my shoulders. Once again, I flipped to another blank page, hoping she couldn't see what was on the page I had been working on.

For the rest of the class, I was afraid to look back at Selena. Why was that? I was typically a friendly and open person. Then again, I could already tell there was nothing typical about Selena. There was just this… aura about her that I could feel from across the room. I was already wrapped up in it.

However, the magnetic tug that I had felt from the first moment we had made eye contact mixed with insane curiosity was far greater than any fear of the unknown. My eyes raised and rested on her soft face. She glanced up and, once again, caught my gaze and, once again, our eyes made the sweet connection that already felt like it was becoming an addiction for me. There was something so serene about her, so innocent.

"And tonight, I want all of you to find a fact about Rembrandt that I did not know."

Leave it to Mr. Green's monotone and overpowering voice to shatter a perfect moment. Selena and I tore our gaze at the same time, focusing on gathering any supplies we had brought with us.

Was it just me, or did I detect a rosier tint to her cheeks? I had a feeling she had a habit of blushing often, which was all for the better. Her flush had an odd effect on me.

"Hurry up, Selena," Miley said impatiently.

"Hold on, let's wait for Nick and Selena."

I wanted to take advantage of every second I could with this girl.

Miley sighed. "Fine. But I seriously need to hurry."

"Hello again," I said pleasantly to Nick and Selena- but mostly to Selena. I smiled at her again- hoping that she wasn't bothered by my insane amount of smiles I had directed at her. What can I say? I don't think I could stop if I wanted to.

"Hi."

"Hey, Selena, you have a freed period right now, right?" Nick asked, sounding slightly impatient as Miley had.

"Yeah, I'm going to the kindergarten class room to help Mrs. Roberts."

"Well, so does Selena and I need to go to history, which is on the other side of the school…"

"Well then, I'll be your personal escort!"

It was remarkable how the stars seemed to be lining up in my favor. I had to do a tarot card reading when I got home- I was a big believer in that kind of thing.

"Thanks," Selena said shyly.

"Come on, Nick, we're going to be late," Miley said, tugging him away.

Internally, I thanked Miley. She could tell I wanted to be alone with Selena- let's hope no one else could- and pulling Nick away couldn't have been easy for her seeing as they dated for a while. But that was history.

"This way, mademoiselle," I said, walking out of the classroom.

"What's Mrs. Roberts like?" Selena asked, keeping up at my side.

"She's pretty cool- if we're a little late, she'll be cool if you play the New Student card."

Selena giggled, then we lapsed into silence. I searched my mind for something to say, while still sensing a buzzing connection flowing between us. I wonder if she could feel it, too.

Suddenly, I could hear her humming softly. If I wasn't mistaken, it sounded like Katy Perry's 'I Kissed a Girl.' I raised my eyebrows at her.

She blushed- of course.

"Sorry, I just like song and it's stuck in my head, so-"

"Well, now it's stuck in my head, too," I replied good naturedly. "Although, I always thought Jill Sobule's was a little cuter."

Jill Sobule was a singer who had released a song of the same name back in the '90s.

Selena's face lit up. "I kissed a girl, her lips were sweet. She was just like kissing me."

I smiled in pleasant surprise. I hadn't expected her to understand the reference, or for her to be comfortable to actually say, 'I kissed a girl.'

"You've actually heard of Jill Sobule?"

"I love her."

"Oh my gosh, you are like my musical soul mate!" I said excitedly and without thinking, I hugged her.

She laughed and patted me on the back.

"Nice to meet you, musical soul mate."

"I'm going to introduce you as that from now on, just to let you know."

"That should be interesting."

We entered the hallway.

"Hey, what's your locker number?"

"3010."

"Really? Mine's 3019. How have we not run into each other before this?"

"Well, Nick was in all of my other classes and he was always… in a rush."

I laughed. "That sounds like Nick."

We both put our books into our lockers and when they were all put away, Selena turned to me.

"What exactly are we going to be doing with kindergartners?"

I remembered saying that I was going down to help out with them when we were in the art room. I wouldn't have thought she'd remember that.

"You're observant," I commented, beginning to walk. "We just help out with whatever Mrs. Roberts needs; organizing stuff, reading with the kids, etcetera."

"I'm not usually," Selena replied breezily, referring to me calling her observant.

Refusing to delve deeper into the possible meaning of that, I said, "I hope you like kids."

"I think they're adorable."

"You want a little sister? I've got one to spare."

Selena laughed. "Classic sibling rivalry? It's almost a Hallmark moment."

"Eh, maybe if we were hugging and saying how much we loved each other."

I crinkled my nose at the thought.

Selena laughed again. Every time she laughed, I felt a rush of pleasure knowing that I could make her laugh. "So you don't get along?"

"To say the least."

We were halfway past a certain hallway when I remembered we needed to turn there.

"On y va!" I said, borrowing a phrase I had learned in my French class meaning 'Here we go.' I put a hand on her back to turn her as I hastily swiveled on my heels.

"Well, that was a little last minute," Selena said with a smile. I realized I had left my hands on her a little too long and dropped them abruptly. "Par le vous francais?"

Translated, that meant 'Do you speak French?'

"Barely. Are you fluent in French as well?"

"As well to what?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

I had meant in addition to being breath taking, but that wasn't something I could say.

"Well, you speak English," I covered.

She laughed- so far, she was a blusher, a smile-er and a laugher.

"Aren't you impressed? But no, my aunt moved to France and got really wrapped up in the culture- which rubbed off on me a little."

"How's that?"

"Well, until I was seven I wouldn't eat any bread besides croissants- I thought it was so cool."

I laughed. One of the qualities I always checked for in people was their ability to make a joke about themselves.

"This is our stop," I said, opening a door on the right. This time I made sure not to touch Selena.

When we entered the room, everything was in full swing. I didn't have a moment to think while I handed out Lego's, pouring juice, and generally doing whatever was necessary. I saw Selena pick up Henry, a particularly shy kid. He seemed to adore her. I smiled. Who wouldn't?

When our free period we spent with the kindergarteners was over, it was time to go home. Selena and I walked together to the parking lot. We reached her car first.

"Au revoir," I said, recalling our conversation about the French earlier.

"Adieu." Selena put a hand on my shoulder and leaned in. She placed a kiss on both of my cheeks. "Another thing I picked up from my aunt."

To say the least, I was a little more pleasurably shell-shocked than I probably should have been.

Selena had a cross between a smirk and a smile as she got in her car. Slightly shell-shocked, I backed up mindlessly so that I wouldn't be run over. When she was on the other side of the parking lot, I broke out into a smile.

Thank God for the French.


	2. Somehow, Someday

"Bonjour, mon amie," I greeted Selena as we kissed each others cheeks as we had done every day for the past two weeks. Even if they were a daily occurrence, every time her lips touched my skin a rush still went through my veins, ending in my stomach.

While these moments were often my favorite part of the day, I had managed to show no further sign of my attraction to her.

"Hey, Nick just texted me. Everyone's in the library."

The library was where we would go before school started.

"Sounds good."

As we walked, we giggled and spoke effortlessly; I had never met someone I was so comfortable with, even if it had been only two weeks.

When we walked into the library, Nick, Miley, Taylor, and Joe were gathered around the couch, with Miley on the arm, Joe standing while reading a Guinness World Record book, and Nick and Taylor sitting.

Demi sat in the last empty spot beside Nick and gazed up at me with a devilish grin.

I smiled right back at her and plopped on her lap.

"Oh my gosh," Selena said, laughing.

"Ah," I sighed with over-the-top satisfaction as I stretched my legs out so they went across Nick's lap and ended in Taylor's.

"Good morning to you, too," Nick said.

"Good morning!" I said cheerfully.

"Shhh," a kid sitting at table halfway across the library.

When his back was turned, I made a face at him. Selena gave me a look. I knew she had seen and we giggled.

I pushed my self up a little and situated myself so that I wasn't crushing Selena. During these movements, I leaned in a little close to her face for a moment.

She was perturbed; in fact, she just smiled even wider.

Once I was leaning back at the proper distance from her face, I tried to focus on not turning red.

"Did you know some people are in her for kissing 32-hours straight?" Joe asked, sounding baffled.

"What about when they had to go to the bathroom?" Miley asked.

"And eat?" Nick added.

"It doesn't say anything about that," Joe answered, scanning the page.

"When you think about it, French kissing is kind of weird," Taylor said thoughtfully.

What was so weird about kissing someone on the cheek as a greeting?

"I don't know," I said doubtfully. "I mean, Selena and I French-kiss every morning."

As soon as the words left my mouth I realized what I had just said.

My mouth popped open and cheeks turned a deep pink. Selena just burst out laughing, Miley grinned, Taylor gave us a look, and Joe and Nick sort of gaped.

"Not that kind!" I backtracked frantically.

Selena was still laughing. "The kiss-kiss on the cheek kind!"

An 'Aha!' expression dawned on everyone's faces, joined by a chorus of drawn out "Oh!"s.

Miley and Taylor started laughing with us.

"The look on your faces!" Selena said, her cheeks also a little pink.

"Well, I'm sorry if it confused us," Nick huffed, crossing his arms.

"I'm still confused," Joe said, indeed looking puzzled.

"They meant a French kiss when they do this," Miley said exasperatedly, grabbing Joe's face and kissing the air above both of his cheeks.

She plopped back on the couch.

"Hey Joe, you looked a little excited there for a moment," Taylor teased.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Nick shot up. "That's off limits!"

"Excuse me?" Miley asked.

"Well, guys just don't date their brother's ex-girlfriend," Nick said, looking a little uncomfortable.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Miley's voice escalated a notch. "You are not allowed to tell me who I can and can not date."

"Um, Miley, is there something I should know?" Joe asked, raising his eyebrows.

She just rolled her eyes at him. "Yeah right. I just like yelling at Nick," she said, giving Nick a little push. "Sorry I went psycho on you."

Selena stared at her. "Since when do you apologize?"

"Selena!" I said incredulously, but smiling.

"What?"

"You don't just ask that!"

"Well, I'm sorry-" Selena said to me, then turned to Miley, "-but since I've known you, you've ran into three people in the hallway, stole about a million pencils, interrupted twice as many people, and once you even took some random guy's whole thing of French fries!"

"He wasn't using them!" Miley protested.

I was glad for the distraction from my terminology flub. While everyone else listed of Miley-stories, I was trying to get the image of me really kissing Selena out of my head. However, when an image was as enjoyable as that, it didn't leave in a hurry.I turned my head to look at Selena. She was smiling widely at me with an indescribable in that moment, I knew that somehow, someday, I was going to kiss her.


	3. You Told Me to Save You

Hey you guys! I've gotten 3 really nice reviews so far and that makes me really happy, but I think I'm going to hold out for 10 before I post the next chapter.

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><p>Selena and I didn't have any classes together in the morning, so we went our separate ways. In my third period class, I got a text from her.<p>

-Bonjour. I'm in French,

Of course she was in French; I knew her schedule as well as I knew mine. But I didn't say that.

-Well, I'm in Geometry. Save me!

My phone buzzed again. I peeked at it when my teacher's back was turned. Instead of it being Selena like I expected, it was my mother.

-we r going 2 bbq festival this weekend, remember. u shud bring 1 of ur friends wit us!

I groaned quietly for two reasons. One, my mother attempted to be 'cool' by texting in the typical text-speak. Two, every year my family went to a two-day festival that was centered around music, barbeque, and crafts. My mother had been bugging me about bring 'one of my little friends' along. Sometimes I thought my mom was more excited about my social life than I was.

I glanced at my phone. It had been about five minutes and Selena hadn't texted me back yet. She usually replied in moments.

When my phone buzzed again, it was Selena. Seeing her name in my inbox made me smile.

-Look outside.

While Mr. Lewis was writing something on the board, I looked out the window on my right.

I almost fell out of my chair.

Selena's eyes were staring back at me. When she saw I had seen her, she raised her head into full view.

'Hi,' she mouthed.

'What are you doing?' I mouthed back. While it probably looked like I was shouting, I was still smiling. Selena sneaking out of class to look in my math class was beyond words.

She just motioned toward the door. I tilted my head, confused. All of a sudden, she seemed to see something I didn't and ducked down. My head whipped to the front of the classroom. Mr. Lewis had just turned back around to explain something.

Once again, I got another text.

-Meet me in the hall.

Selena's wish was my command

I raised my hand.

"Demi?"

"May I go to the bathroom?"

"What I'm teaching is important-"

"But, um, it's a feminine problem!" I blurted. I could feel a blush creep to my cheeks as a few people snorted. I hadn't meant to say that.

If I thought my face was red, Mr. Lewis' face was ten times worse.

"Erm, yes, well, ah…" He seemed to be at a loss for words and could only manage to motion towards the door.

I hurried out. Once I had closed the door, a pair of hand snuck out and whirled around my waist. I gasped as I looked up to see Selena as she pinned me to the wall. I glanced quickly at the door to see if anyone could see. Luckily, we were out of sight.

"Hi," she giggled.

"You scared me," I said, putting my hands on her forearms. Her hands were still on my waist.

"Boo."

Selena glanced at the math room, then back at me.

"C'mon."

She took me by the hand and pulled me down the hallway.

"What are you doing here?" I giggled.

"You told me to save you."

Those words turned my insides to jelly. No one had risked being caught at anything to 'save me' before.

"Mission accomplished," I mustered.

We walked to the water fountain and leaned on either side. Our hands were still intertwined, so we began playing with each other's fingers.

"How did you get here?" I asked.

"I walked," Selena said with a smirk.

"You know what I mean."

"Eh, I just asked if I could go to the bathroom."

"Me too. Let's not be liars."

We went inside the bathroom. No one else was there. I turned a sink on and pumped soap into my hand, then put my hand into the stream of water.

"Ah. It's warm," I murmured, tilting my head back.

"Let me feel," Selena said, reaching forward. Her hand bumped mine and I almost jerked it back- not because I didn't want her touch, but because of the shivers that went down my spine.

Selena's hand touched the water, then jerked back. Some water droplets splashed on my shirt.

"Hey!" I said at the same time Selena said, "It's hot!"

"And on my shirt!"

Selena eyed the small stains on my shirt.

"I'm sorry," she said, but there was a grin on her lips.

I flicked my fingers at her face, scattering a little water on it.

"Oh my gosh!" Selena said, and lunged for the sink beside mine, turning it on.

She got some water in her hand, then turned around at me in playful menace.

"Now, let's be reasonable, Selena. Selena? Oh, buddy of mine?"

"No such luck." Selena threw the water at me.

I gasped, then broke out into a huge smile. We went back and forth, splashing water at each other.

Selena grabbed my wrist right as I was going to get her.

I relinquished happily as she just held my wrists in between both of us. To say the least, we were a little damp.

"We're going to be late," I said.

"I know," Selena sighed. "I should go."

"Thanks for breaking me out for a while," I replied wistfully as she released my wrists.

"Anytime." I left the bathroom and turned right while she turned left. I couldn't resist looking over my shoulder to see Selena walking away.

She was walking backwards, looking at me.

I smiled, and gave a little wave before turning back around. My smile stayed put as I walked down the hallway. Looking at Selena looking at me made me giddy and reinforced my belief it was meant to be.


	4. No Way in Hell

Okay... I know that I said I would only post when I had 10 reviews and I only have 8. The thing is, though, I'm a compulsive uploader.

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><p>I went through two more classes, but didn't learn anything. The only thing on my mind was Selena. We usually met in the cafeteria at lunch.<p>

Right as I was about to leave to go there, two girls talking loudly were walking past

"So, my Art History thing was a page and a half long-"

"Who did you do yours on?"

"Mona Lisa."

When I overheard the girls who were walking past say that, I stopped in my tracks and groaned.

We were supposed to do a write about our favorite painting or work of art and what it meant to us.

The girls were looking at me now.

"I forgot to do mine," I explained.

They looked at each other and giggled, then back at me.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you staring was rude?" I snapped.

They looked a little taken aback and hurried along their way, probably whispering about me.

I sighed. Normally I wouldn't have so rash, but the art history bio- or in my case, lack there of- was stressing me out. I had lunch now, so I guess I could spend it in the library working on it.

In thirty minutes, I had finished writing about Velázquez's 'Las Meninas.'

"Hello."

I looked up to see Nick hovering over the table I was working at.

"Hi."

"Demi, I need a favor."

Nick's face was serious.

"What's up?"

He sat down.

"Can you… well, do think…"

"I don't have all day, Nick."

"Do you think Selena likes me?" Nick said in a rush. It took a moment for his words to sink in- when it did, it was like a bucket of cold water had been thrown on me. I tried to cover my distress.

"Someone has a crush on little Miss Selena?"

"Come on, Demi."

"And you need my help?" I asked loftily. I was trying to hide the panic in my stomach- there was no way in hell I could let Nick take Selena.

"Yeah," Nick surrendered. "It's just… her eyes. Did you know they're hazel."

Brown.

Selena's eyes were brown.

"Did you know she likes Goobers, too? Everyone else thinks they're gross."

She may like Goobers, but gummy worms are her favorite.

"She says her family goes to Princeton games. Maybe we could go together."

Selena hates Princeton, but her parents are still pressuring her to go.

Nick knows nothing about Selena. She deserves someone who understands her and actually knows what she likes… someone like me.

"So, do you think she'd say yes?"

I snapped out of my trance. "Yes to what?"

"To me asking her out!" Nick said exasperatedly, probably louder than he meant to.

"Um, maybe. I'll ask her."

"No! If she doesn't like me-"

"Don't worry, I'll be super subtle. You know that's how I work," I said, standing up. I had to get away to think.

As I gathered up my books, I swear I heard Nick mumble, "Yeah, yeah."

He has no idea how I plan to work.

I bustled out of the library. First things first, I needed to get rid of these books. The hallway was completely deserted when I dumped them in my locker.

"Demi?"

I turned to see Selena smiling hesitantly a row of lockers down.

"Hey," I greeted. I couldn't help it, I broke out into a grin. My headache had disappeared.

"Why weren't you at lunch?"

"I had to finish some history homework. And I had a headache- but I'm better now."

"I'm glad," Selena smiled. That was not just an ordinary smile- it was a smile that made me feel like she saved it especially for me. "Hey, are you hungry?"

Selena lifted a hand. For the first time I noticed she held a sandwich. "I grabbed this for you, just in case."

I was actually was starving. "Yeah, thanks." I opened the wrapper. "You're a superstar."

I bit into the sandwich, trying not to look sloppy.

"Not to mention your musical soul mate," Selena teased, poking me slightly.

"True. Hey, let's get to Art History early."

"Absolutely," Selena said with that same dazzling smile and grabbed a notebook out of her locker. "Shall we?" She held out her elbow.

I linked my arm through hers after grabbing my sketchbook and my notebook. "We shall."

We walked along like that, arm in arm. It felt to good to have her close to me.

On a trip of spontaneity, I asked, "Do you like barbeque?"

"Like? Try love."

My hopes were raised.

"What about music?"

"The world would be totally corrupted without it."

"Well, then, do you want to go with me and my family to this festival on Friday and Saturday? It's an hour away so we spend the night there-"

"Sure, that sounds fun."

"Great. We're going to leave on Friday," I informed her. I was elated.

"You're sure your parents won't mind?"

"Are you kidding? My mom's going to be overjoyed I'm bringing one of my 'little friends.'"

Selena giggled. "I didn't think any moms actually said that."

"Well, then you're in for an amusing weekend."

When we reached the vacant art room, Selena was telling me about her trip to Mexico.

"We were just walking around when I saw these women weaving on a loom; it looked like a rug. The colors were so bright and it was just so incredible-"

Her eyes were sparkling and her voice was completely captivating. She waved her hands around, saying how she had actually stopped to watch them, almost losing her parents in the hustle and bustle. Selena's description made you feel like you were there in the streets of some city in Mexico, the sweat and the heat and the people surrounding you like a hazy dream.

I stared at her in wonder with a smile on my lips.

"You should write a book."

She looked at me. "Sorry, am I talking to much? I tend to-"

"No, no," I said hastily. "It was perfect. You just describe things… perfectly."

I heard someone giggle at the doorway. My head snapped to the side to see Miley and Nick entering.

My guess was Miley had been watching us for a while.

"Hey," I said cheerily, despite the fact they had taken away Selena's and my privacy.

"Oh my gosh," Selena said, slapping a hand to her forehead.

"What?" I asked instantly.

"I'm am such a mental klutz, I forgot my paper thing we had to do in my locker-"

"I'll go with you to get it," Nick said, pouncing on the opportunity. I frowned a little before regaining my composure.

"That's okay. I think I can handle it," Selena said, smiling at him, then winking at me. I was pretty sure I was the only one who saw it… and I was pretty sure it made me glad I was sitting down.

"But what if… a bully jumps out and… steals your lunch money?"

'Give it a rest Nick', I thought vehemently at him.

"I've already eaten lunch," Selena said coolly, already half out the door. "Thanks though!"

"Now, Nick, are you saying you would leave poor Selena and I defenseless if that bully barged in here, would you?" Miley said coyly.

"No, of course not!"

Even if they were broken up, Miley still knew how to press his buttons.

I gazed at Selena's back as she left with a light smile. Trying not to look starry-eyed, I turned to face Miley.

She had leaned on my table and was grinning a little too cockily for my tastes.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing."

"It's obviously something."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do," I said impatiently.

Miley smirked at me and said, "You are so in love with her."

"Shut up!" I hissed, looking around the room for Nick. He was obliviously looking for something in the supply closet. "No I'm not!"

Miley pounded her fist on the table, startling me. "Yes, you are, you little liar!"

Nick definitely heard that and turned around to look at us.

"Um, it's nothing, Nicky dearest. Go back to whatever you were doing," Miley said sweetly.

My mouth was still hanging open in shock from her outburst. I was one-third annoyed, one-third curious, and one-third amused.

"Selena, I've seen you two argue one minute and be cracking up the next, you act like you've known each other your entire lives, you never let anyone say a bad word about the other, you look at her constantly, you're attached at the hip-"

"Okay, I get it," I said begrudgingly.

I glanced at the door to see Selena's head peeping in. There was no way she had time to go back to the hall, get her paper, and come back here.

My stomach was in a whirl. Was there any way she could have heard what we were saying? No, of course not. But what if… no! I shook that terrifying thought away.

We made eye contact and she brought the rest of herself into view with a sly smile.

"Hello, all."

"Any reason why you were creeping, Selena?" Miley asked.

"I really am a mental klutz; halfway down the hall, I realized it was in my binder all along."

"Tsk, tsk, Selena," I said, clucking my tongue at her.

"Shush. You guys have to promise not to tell anyone I didn't just do that."

Miley and Nick just gave a verbal promise as the first students started trailing into the room, but I offered her my pinky. Miley took a seat beside Nick as Selena sat beside me and linked our pinkies.

"I pinky swear," I said solemnly.

We put our hands on the table, but our pinkies stayed intertwined. They were still hooked around each other when class was dismissed.


	5. In a Perfect World

"Morning," I heard someone say as she wrapped her hands over my eyes and pulled us close together. I had tensed for a moment, then relaxed. I knew who it was and I think I liked this proximity; her soft hands cupping my face ever so gently, a lock of her hair sliding over my shoulder, her flowery scent surrounding me.

My eyelids fluttered shut and I let my head tilt back. It would look like I was trying to see my captor, but in reality, I was languishing in her embrace. My head was resting slightly on her shoulder when I felt her hands slide off my eyes.

"Hello Selena," I said sleepily, opening my eyes lazily.

"Took you long enough," Selena answered. "You sound tired."

"I AM tired," I said, smiling partly to prove I was fine and partly because Selena just had that effect on me. It was because last night thoughts of Selena had kept me awake last night, tossing and turning until I knew it would be hours before I could settle down.

"Well, you're awake now," Selena stated, throwing an arm around my shoulder. It was a little harder to put the last of my books in my locker with her there, but it was worth it just for her to be close.

I turned around, putting an arm around Selena's back so that she turned with me.

"I have my duffel bag in my locker," she said.

She had brought her things with her to school because she was coming home with me after school.

"You're hair looks pretty today," I observed. I wanted to say so much more, but that was all I could say without sounding like I liked her- which I do, of course.

"Did it look bad yesterday?" Selena said in faux-offense, raising her eyebrows. That was the thing about Selena: she could take anything and turn it around on you. If she put her mind to it, she could be a great lawyer.

"Don't be a smart mouth," I said, using one of my mom's favorite euphuisms.

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am!"

The rest of the day went by quickly. I was ready to get on the road and get to the festival. Most people say time goes by slower when you're waiting for something but for me, it's the opposite. Happy times and bliss could last a lifetime if you're mind worked like mine.

When we got to my house, my mother was waiting.

"Hi, Mom," I said as we entered the living room. Like the anal person she was, she was standing in the living room going over a checklist. She looked up when we came in the room.

"Hello, sweetheart."

"Mom, this is Selena. Selena, Mom. Or I guess Mrs. Lovato."

"Hi, it's nice to meet you."

Selena stepped forward to shake my mom's hand. She looked surprised by the politeness of it. It's not that my other friends are rude, but since we've grown up together they haven't ever had the opportunity to really 'meet her.'

"We're happy to have you."

"Thank you," Selena replied with a genuine smile.

"Come on, I have to get my stuff," I said, pulling Selena away. No need for her to get too chummy.

"Just so you know, my mom's probably down there hyperventilating over me having a nice, polite friend."

Selena cocked her head to the side. "What's up between you and her?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

I knew what she was talking about.

"Mm-hm."

She knew I knew what she was talking about.

"Turn!" I said loudly as we were about to pass my room. I grabbed the doorknob and pushed it open. Under the strict rule of my mother, I had to keep thing "nice and tidy," but I still managed to keep some of my characteristic clutter around: some crumpled papers scattered around the small trashcan, a slightly messily-made bed, a shirt hanging out of the hamper. Just things that made my room look more like a place where someone lived, not like a perfectly arranged bedroom from the pages of a magazine like my mother dreamed of.

I grabbed my bag and turned around to see Selena looking around. I put a hand on my hip and smirked.

"It's not polite to stare."

"Not staring, just… observing. It looks like you."

"Thankfully. Every time I asked my mom about doing something, she would give me the long talk that wasn't her really saying no, but she made it clear she thought it was stupid, so I just started doing what ever I wanted without asking."

I hadn't realized how bitter I was about my prim and close-minded mother until I said it out loud. Even just talking about her overbearing-ness made me sick to my stomach.

"Naughty, naughty, Demi, going behind your mother's back."

She may have said it lightly, but I knew she could tell I had deep issues in the mother department.

"Yes, I'm a genuine rebel."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, you should watch out for me. I could corrupt you," I said, waggling my fingers around my face and wandering closer to her

"Lovely."

I smiled softly and sighed. In a perfect world, we would kiss right now and it would be magical and mind-blowing. But if we lived in a perfect world without imperfections, how would appreciate the good things we do have?


	6. What was This, If Not Flirting?

On the car ride to the festival, Selena and I sat in the back of the car, Dallas and Madison in the middle, and my parents in the front.

Dallas was my sister who was one year older than me- a senior at my high school- and Madison was my half-sister who was nine.

Selena and I did the usual necessity of talking to my family for the first five minutes of the ride, but for the rest of the time we were lost in our own little world. There was a space between us, but I kept finding us touching; me patting Selena on the knee, Selena putting her hand on my arm, our legs resting against each other.

I don't see how I could feel this amazing chemistry without her feeling it, too.

"Are we there yet?" I heard Madison ask- more like whine, but it was natural seeing as she was a nine-year-old on a two-hour long car drive. I rolled my eyes and looked back at Selena. She was leaning with her body turned towards mine, smiling right back at me.

"Almost, sweetie."

I looked out the window to see we were pulling onto a familiar road: the open area where the festival was held was just a few minutes away. I told Selena so and sure enough, it came into view shortly.

Dad had barely stopped the car when Dallas ripped her door open and shouted "Hallelujah! I have to pee like crazy!"

Selena and I looked at each other and giggled as Dallas ran towards the nearest port-a-potty while the people around her looked at her oddly after her outcry.

"Can we go look around?" I asked my parents, but mostly directed at my dad. We got along better than my mom and I.

"First things first, we need to go find our cabin," my mother answered. Great. What cabin was this again? Another one of her bossy ideas?

"Did we tell you? We found out they rent cabins on the river and thought it would be fun," Dad continued for my mother.

Well, it didn't sound awful. A cabin on the river… it had a certain 'je ne sais quoi' to it.

"I think the man said it was up White's Road," my father muttered, beginning to drive forward again.

"Daddy!" I exclaimed.

"What?"

"What about Dallas?"

"Oh!" he slammed on the brakes, make my mother jerk forward. Bet she loved that.

"Really, Patrick!"

Exactly. It was amazing how sarcastic I got when it came to my mother.

"Girls, let's not tell Dallas about this."

"Tell me what?" Dallas asked, getting back in the car.

"Daddy almost drove away without you!" Madison tattled.

"Dad!" Dallas said unbelievingly.

"Madison! It's not okay for you to rat me out," my dad said with a grin, starting the car.

"Are you sure everyone's in here this time?" I joked.

I could see even my mother was smiling in the mirror.

When we reached the cabin, Selena and I got a bedroom to ourselves. The catch was that there was one full bed.

"Do you mind?" I asked, inclining my head to the bed.

"No, it's fine."

"Good, because your only other option was the floor."

"Well, I love you too then!"

"Oh, you know you're the light of my life," I said, wrapping my arms around her. A completely innocent, friendly gesture… that meant so much more to me. She struggled against my hug jokingly, making us topple onto our bed.

"Are you that eager to get me into bed?" I said, grinning. Selena was in my arms, in a bed pressed up against me. Even though it wasn't in a romantic way, the basics of it made my head spin._ This was really happening._

Instead of jerking back and laughing like any of my other friends would, Selena giggled and said, "Absolutely, my love," making the 'rawr' claw with her hand.

I lit up with a smile and felt a surge of overwhelming happiness, wondering if Selena could feel it radiating off of me and my heart pounding in my chest.

_This was really happening_, I repeated in my head._ I could have a shot__._

Because what was this if not flirting?

Then, an evil seed of doubt took root in my head._ She could just be joking around with you. This could just be what friends do._

My heart sank slightly and I rolled away

"Well, having my parents in the next room is kind of a turn-off, so you'll have to live without me," I said, rolling away and standing up. As much as I wanted to let Selena know how I felt, I didn't want to say it as a joke.


	7. One Person

Selena, my family and I went out to explore the festival, but Selena and I soon left them to explore on our own. There were countless tables and tents of crafts like jewelry and carvings, soap, and things like honey and jam, banjo players, singers, and people performing plays.

By the time we found our way to the main stage where there was a full band performing, it was dark.

"Wanna take a seat?" I asked, nodding to one of the only unoccupied benches left.

Selena smiled. "Sure."

I sat down beside her. We leaned back and began observing the people around us.

"You see those two? First weekend vacation together," Selena hypothesized while nodding at a couple who seemed to see no one but each other.

"Mm, and the guy over there likes chick flicks," I said, then added after some reflection, "And plays hockey."

She laughed softly and we continued to pass our stories about these strangers back and forth. Spending time with Selena was a simple kind of happiness that couldn't be more complicated to explain.

"There're your parents."

Selena pointed them out just as they kissed each other while bopping in a huge throng of people in front of the stage.

"What are they doing?" I asked, horrified.

"I think they're… having fun," Selena said, sounding bemused.

Indeed they did look happy, which made the situation all the weirder: the music was loud and rock-ish and upon closer inspection, both of my parents were holding cups with suspicious looking liquid sloshing around in them.

"Do you think they do this every year?"

This realization that they might always go crazy when their kids aren't around kind of hit me hard.

My mom let out a loud shriek of enjoyment.

Selena laughed. "Your mom is hilarious."

"Who are these people?"

"'Parent's Gone Wild.' I can see it now."

"You want to go for a walk?" I asked Selena out of the blue.

"Absolutely."

Without hesitation, we linked arms as we began walking. The stage was the only place that was still alive; the booths were shut up and there were no light. Still, there was a air of wonder and beauty about it.

"C'mon," I said. "I want to show you something."

Not far from here, I knew, there was a gazebo on the water that was always was decorated around Christmas time.

"Where we going?" Selena asked, following me willingly.

"You'll see."

The path was lined with bushes and flowers and a few trees here and there. We rounded a bend and the gazebo was in front of us. It was all decked out in full-on Christmas gear: sprigs of holly, boughs of fir, bells, lights, ribbons, everything.

Selena stepped forward and I noticed that this was a picture-perfect moment; a girl with long way hair tumbling down her back looking at a lit-up gazebo. She fit perfectly into the scene, but then again, she would fit perfectly into any scene in my opinion.

"It's like a perfect Christmas post-card," she said in awe as she went up the steps.

"In November?" I asked, following her.

"Well, it's never to early to start celebrating."

"You're right, but you still don't usually see something like this this early."

"Then I must be your good luck charm," Selena replied, turning around to give me a smile that made my heart skip a beat.

"Must be."

For a moment, we just looked each other in the eyes, but then Selena sighed.

"We should go back. Or else everyone will think we've been stranded in the cold, cold night."

I sighed, too, and said begrudgingly, "I guess so."

I reached the top of the steps first and paused to wait for Selena.

When she a few steps away, she happened to glance at the rafter above my head and stopped. Her sweet smile slid off her face and was replaced by a look similar to the awe that had taken control of her features when she had seen the gazebo. "Oh."

"What?" I asked, looking up. My eyes fell upon a certain classic Christmas plant right above my head.

"Mistletoe," Selena said with wonder.

My heart felt like it could jump out of my chest, but it also felt vaporized.

Selena took a step closer to me. Could this really be happening?

"Merry Christmas, Demi," she whispered inches from my face. She moved in closer and suddenly, we were kissing.

Her lips were soft as they moved with mine. It was as though they were fighting the cold December air- and winning.

We parted and I leaned my forehead on hers. I couldn't muster any words while looking into her eyes. There was still a floating feeling consuming me, as though it was all too good to be true to actually happen.

But it WAS happening. It was happening and it was real and I wanted it to happen again and again.

I reconnected our lips and found her hands in mine. I pulled her closer to me as we kissed.

"I love you."

The words just slipped out of my mouth before I could think, but they were true. I didn't want to scare Selena, but I couldn't hold them in much longer.

I may have been young and, quite honestly, barely known Selena long, but there was no question about what I was feeling. I knew that those words were true.

Those who say I was just confused have never felt the way I did in that moment and every moment with Selena. I may not have as much experience as people think is required to understand love, but sometimes you only need one person to show you. You just need her smile and her kindness and her phenomenal personality that was so strong it was almost palpable.

"I love you, too," Selena said breathlessly.

Those words were the most beautiful thing I had ever heard and a wave of sweet relief washed over me as all doubts faded into oblivion.

"Shall we?" I asked, offering her my arm as I often did.

"We shall."

Selena took my arm and pulled me close as we walked.

"Oh my gosh," Selena said, stopping in her tracks and tilting her face to the sky.

"What?" I said, scanning the air above us.

"Is it… drizzling?"

Just as she said that, something cold and wet landed on my nose.

"I think so."

Selena looked at me, swiped her finger on my nose and giggled.

When we got to the cabin we were staying in, all drizzling had stopped. All I had actually felt was that solitary drop; as though it was the universe's way of saying, 'See? It's raining. You're welcome.'

Selena and I crawled into our shared bed quietly after changing into our night clothes and as I wrapped an arm around her waist and brought our bodies close to each other, I knew nothing would ever feel more right again.


	8. Toothbrushing, Footsie, and a Ninja Kiss

I woke up the next morning and instinctively stretched my arms, then froze. I remembered Selena was lying next to me asleep. Our bodies were touching, but I hadn't disturbed her. I relaxed and gazed at her face. I put a finger to my smiling lips, thinking about how perfect last night was.

I had imagined what it would be like to kiss Selena, but no scenario can compare to it actually happening. That's because love was unplanned and worked best when you just let it unfold.

I slipped out of the warm bed and instantly regretted it. Ignoring the morning cold against my arms, I shuffled into the bathroom down the hall.

The bathroom had light blue tile with a white bath tub tucked away in the corner.

Standing over the sink, I washed my face, then squeezed a strip of toothpaste onto my toothbrush. After I had began brushing, the door opened.

Selena was smiling lazily from the door way. I grinned at the site of her flannel pajama pants and tousled bed-head. It was a good look for her.

"Morning," she said.

I just smiled and made an unintelligible sound, unable to do better with my toothbrush in my mouth.

She giggled and wrapped an arm around my waist. I saw she had a purple toothbrush in her hand. She used her free hand to squirt some tooth paste on it, encircling my waist in her arms. Once she had began brushing, her ran up and down my side and back, sending chills up my side.

We were just smiling and communicating with our eyes. I finished first and after I rinsed my mouth with water, I moved her hair off her neck, keeping it in my hand off to the side. Making eye contact in the mirror, I placed a soft kiss on her skin.

"Good morning."

I knew she couldn't answer, so I just traced light patterns on her neck with my finger tips. I looked up to see her looking at me in the mirror. I just smiled and kept tracing.

When she had finished brushing she turned around and wrapped her arms around my neck. I slid my hands to her waist as I connected our lips in a light kiss.

I felt her smile and heard her giggle.

I moved from her mouth and placed barely-there kisses along her jaw line, on her cheek, on her forehead as she leaned back against the sink.

"Is this real?" Selena said breathlessly, leaning her forehead against mine.

"Hm?"

"It almost doesn't seem like this is really happening."

"Do you want me to pinch you?"

"No." Selena giggled. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her dig her fingernail into her palm. She broke out into a wide smile.

"Still think you're dreaming?"

"Girls! We have pancakes!"

My dad's voice rang through our moment.

"Coming!" I called out, then turned to Selena.

"Duty calls."

We went out to the kitchen that had a cabin-y feel where everyone was looking sleep with the exception of my dad. He was always wide awake in the morning.

"A fresh stack is on the table," he said, nodding to a plate on the table while he looked in a wooden cabinet.

Like my dad, I was a morning person, but having Selena near me and knowing that she felt the way I do made me even perkier.

We sat down in two chairs next to each other. Dallas and Madison were across from us and my parents were at the two ends of the table.

"Good morning," Selena said collectively to my parents.

"Good morning, Selena," my mother replied. "Sleep well?"

"Yes, ma'am."

After I poured syrup on my pancakes, I nonchalantly moved my hand to Selena's leg.

Her hand holding a fork paused for a minute, halfway to her mouth, then resumed she eating.

I made my fingers walk up her thigh, then let them lightly trail back down to her knee. Her foot moved and found mine, running over it, then pressing down on it a little. We continued our game of footsie until it was time for all of us to put our dirty dishes in the sink.

"What does everyone want to do today?" my mom asked.

On the second day of the festival, we always spent the rest of the time together.

"What is there to do?" Madison asked.

"We could walk around the booths and see what people are selling," my mother suggested.

"Sounds good," I agreed, not arguing for once. Remembering Selena, I turned to her and raised my eyebrows, asking if it was alright. She gave a small nod and a smiled. For a moment, I found myself just staring in her eyes. There was something utterly calming about looking in them that made me think there was everything I could ever want in them.

My hand brushed hers and I put my fingers on the inside of hers. Not exactly holding hands, but a sweet, satisfying connection.

"Okay," my dad said, making my tear my eyes away from Selena's. "But we need to be on the road before lunch."

"Can we get some of that jewelry from the lady from Oklahoma?" Dallas asked.

"If we can find her."

We were out the door at 10 o'clock. My parents, sisters, Selena, and I were all walking beside each other when Madison pointed at something.

"Look!"

A band consisting of men in overalls playing a banjo, a washboard, and fiddle. A man and a woman in more traditional garb were doing a sort of square dance.

I looked around. My family, Selena, and the people around us were all looking at the band and dancers and the people who were just walking by weren't paying us any mind.

Quickly, I put a hand on Selena's face and moved her head to face me. Before she could speak or even realize what was happening, I gave her a quick kiss. Shocked, she glanced around and laughed.

"Very sneaky, 007."

"Eh, it would me more secret agent-y if I rolled away on the ground with a gun."

"So what would you call it?"

I pondered for a moment before answering. Leaning in close, I whispered in her ear, "Ninja kiss."

"Can we go?" Madison asked, reminding me we weren't alone.

"You're the one who wanted to look," I pointed out.

She just stuck her tongue out at me.

We all started walking along the rows of boots selling jewelry, paintings, woodwork, clothing, and things like honey and jam, this time with Selena and I trailing behind.

With out warning, she pulled me beside a booth. It had a tent like covering and I could see my family still walking.

"What are you-"

I didn't have time to get any more words out before Selena crashed her lips into mine.

She pulled back grinning cheekily.

"Ninja kiss."

"That's my word!"

"That's actually two words," she replied just as cheekily as she smiled and stuck out her tongue like Madison had.

Without thinking, I darted forward and licked it. She popped back, then an astonished smile spread across her face.

"I can't believe you did that."

"Better believe it, babe," I said, wrapping an arm around her waist as we began catching up to my family. I felt her warm arm find its way over my shoulder and give me a squeeze.

I looked at her and smiled. She caught my gaze and smiled back, leaning in. She didn't kiss me; she just let our foreheads and noses touch.

Having her close to me was perfection. Soft, warm and feminine… it felt like this is what it was supposed to feel like when you have someone you love connected to you, physically and emotionally.

For the rest of the walk, we kept sneaking kisses and were wrapped up in each other. To my parents' untrained eyes, we probably looked like two best friends, but there was so much more behind it than that.

When my dad got us all back in the car and on the road, we sat in the back again, except this time, there wasn't any second thoughts about cuddling and touching. I had decided a long time ago that when I met someone, I would come out to them. However, they didn't notice anything.

As we got closer and closer to Selena's house, I sank into denial about her having to leave- but that didn't make the time go by slower.

Selena started giving my dad directions to her house. We pulled up to one a two- story, pale yellow house with a wrap-around porch with hanging ferns that my mother would have loved to host parties on. Personally, I preferred the tree off to the side of the house: The only leaves left clinging to it were brown and dead, but I could just imagine reading and sketching and just lying under its branches full with light green leaves in the spring and it covered in bushy red and orange ones in the fall. I guess that's the difference between my mother and me; she loves classy, stereotypical things that can be nice, but I prefer simple things that you can turn into a wonderland with a little creativity.

"Well, we've enjoyed having you, Selena," my mother said.

"Thank you, Mrs. Lovato."

How was it Selena could be so… nice all the time?

She began to get out of the car and I followed her, putting a hand to her waist as she stepped down.

She looked at me and smiled. We walked around to the trunk of the car and I took her hand in mine softly.

I used my free hand to open the trunk and she broke our hands apart to grab her bag. I followed her to the front of the car again. This whole time, we hadn't said a word, just communicating with our eyes and smiles. Words just didn't seem necessary.

As I pulled Selena into a hug, I kissed her on the cheek. I kind of hoped my parents saw.

"I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too." she said, twirling a piece of my hair. "You need to call me."

"I will."

She nodded. "Cross your heart."

I made an 'X' above my chest.

My dad honked the horn. I could hear him say, "Since when does it take this long to say goodbye to her friends?"

"Yeah… friends." I giggled to Selena.

"Well, he doesn't know we're more than that."

More than that. More than friends. I don't think she knew how happy it made me to hear her say that.

"I'll call you," I said, backing towards the car.

"Bye," she said, kissing two fingers and putting them in the air.

I mimicked the gesture and climbed in the car with a smile on my face.

Hello wonderful readers (That is if anyone's still reading after I abandoned this for an obscene amount of time.)!

There will be one more chapter after this. I'm not posting it now because I want to rewrite the last paragraph since... well, since it's kind of shit.

Review, pleeeeease? I know i don't deserve it for not posting for oodles of months, but... c'mon! That toothbrush-ing scene? Eh, eh?

(By the way, I'm not seriously like the last sentence indicates. I'm joking because I'm a dork. But not about the review part. That I would like. Now I'm rambling as per usual. I'll stop now. Bye.)


	9. I Can't Lie

**SURPRISE! It's not over yet!**

**You guys are going to HATE me.**

**But I still really appreciate all of the reviews. I love reading them :)**

An annoying beeping woke me up on Monday morning. I slammed my hand on it to shut it up, then buried my head under my blankets. As my mind cleared from just-woke-up fogginess, Selena was the first thing that entered my mind.

I smiled and managed to throw the blankets off of me. I stared up at the ceiling, wallowing in the memories of the perfect days we had spent together and at the possibilities we could make happen. We had either been texting, calling, or Skype-ing each other since we had been separated.

Taking a breath, I shot myself out of bed. The sooner I got ready, the sooner I would see Selena.

While brushing my teeth, I mulled over how people would react to us. There were always going to be people opposed to the idea of gays and lesbians, but I believed that if you have someone you deeply care about, then you can overcome any obstacles put up by ignorant people.

I dressed and put on my make-up in record time that morning and when I ran down the stairs to the kitchen, my mother was pouring a cup of coffee looking groggy.

"Good morning," I said cheerily to her.

"Good morning," she said tiredly as she gave me an odd look. My blood boiled for a second and I wondered 'Why is it so surprising I'm being nice?' but I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. It's possible I haven't been entirely pleasant around my mom.

I grabbed a piece of toast and nibbled on it as I thought.

I missed the days when I was younger and she was my best friend. Of course, she wanted me to be a perfect little pre-debutant then, too, but looking back, she just wanted what was best for me. She loved things like big bows and frilly dresses, so maybe it was her way of trying to make me happy.

I couldn't remember the last time I told her I loved her.

"Mom?"

"Hm?"

I stood up.

"I love you."

I could tell she was surprised. Instead of making a snarky comment, she just replied, "I love you too, sweet pea."

Sweet pea.

That had been her nickname for me when I was little.

Awkwardly, I asked, "Um, are you ready to go?"

Even though I was a junior in high school and had turned seventeen last month, I still didn't like to drive. I wasn't very good at it anyway: my first time, I put a scratch all the way down on one side of the car on a sign in a parking lot.

When my mom and I were in the car, I stared out the window, smiling widely. I couldn't wait to see Selena. After fifteen minutes that were far too long, I was jumping out of the car with my backpack slung over my shoulder.

"Bye, Mom!"

I didn't wait for a reply.

When I got to the hallway, there were a few people hanging around their lockers, but none of them were Selena, so I didn't care. I put my books and bag in my locker, then debated what to do. Selena might be in the library, so I headed there.

A quick look in the library was enough to tell me Selena wasn't there, either, but Miley, Nick, and Joe were sitting on the couch. I was considering turning around to wait for Selena in the hall, but Joe looked over and saw me.

Not wanting to seem weird, I walked over to them and took a seat on the arm of the couch.

"Good morning," I greeted them. Not bothering to wait for them to finish their greetings, I asked Miley, "Have you seen Selena?"

I would have asked Nick and Joe, too, but Nick still thought he had a chance with Selena. That caused a cross between satisfaction and annoyance inside me; satisfaction because she was mine and annoyance because the thought of Nick trying to hit on Selena infuriated me. Still, he was my friend and I didn't want to purposefully hurt him, even if I was with the girl he had just told me last week he liked. I smiled. She was mine, my girl. I liked the sound of that.

"No. Are we not enough for you?" Miley said teasingly.

"Not even close," I said with grin, leaning in to hug her. She tried to push me away, but I still managed to crush her in a hug. "Just kidding. But I still need to find her." I stood up and started to walk to the door, saying over my shoulder, "I'll be right back."

Just as I was about to make a sharp turn out of the library, a body turned right in front of me. I began to jump back, but then I realized who it was.

"Selena! I've been looking for you," I said warmly, my hands finding hers. I leaned in to kiss her on the cheek, but when her body stiffened, I quickly turned it into an awkward hug.

I looked at her with concern in my eyes, but she just looked away and mumbled, "Hi," as she broke our hands apart and headed for the couch.

Something wasn't right.

"Hey," she said as she squeezed in on the couch. No one else seemed to notice anything off, but she didn't look exactly chipper. Not herself. And she wouldn't even look at me. I may not have ever had a girlfriend, but I know that she was supposed to want to be near me, smile and giggle with me, play with my hands or my hair or at least acknowledge me.

I tried to think of a way to ask her what was going on. When we were together on the weekend, talking came easily but now… I just wanted to pull her away, look in her eyes, and her just to pour her hear out so that I could fix it.

I kept trying to catch her eye, but she kept her eyes away from me or on someone else. I went around the couch and put my hands on her shoulders, but she just tensed.

The way Selena was acting worried me. Was everything okay? Was something going on? The situation made my stomach more than a little tumultuous as I went in my first period class.

I kept trying to catch Selena in between classes, but either she was almost sprinting to get away to her next class or was already gone. Sitting in Mr. Lewis's classroom, I thought about the time Selena rescued me from this very room.

An idea came to me. Maybe _I_ could rescue _her. _Seeing her had brightened my day, so why couldn't I do the same?

I raised my hand. Before Mr. Lewis could even call on me, I said, "May I go to the bathroom?"

He sighed. "Yes, Demi."

"Thank you," I said, and tried not to run as I left the room.

My anticipation was building as I speed-walked through the school to the hall where Selena's French room was. A smile was spreading across my mouth. She would be thrilled.

I got to the French room and leaned against a wall. My hand reached into my pocket for my cell phone, but just met air and fabric. Damn, I hadn't brought my phone to school today. Well, there were other ways to get someone's attention.

I slid over to the door and prepared to wave my arms at Selena till she looked at me when a fully grown woman walked in front of the door.

When I saw her looking at me, my eyes widened to the extent of nearly falling out of my head and instinctively, I ducked down. As soon as I hit the ground, I realized I was screwed. Wincing, I slowly stood back up to face her.

She was still staring at me while several students who had apparently seen my spectacle were laughing.

I opened the door and said weakly, "Hi, Ms. Faye."

"Hello, Demi. What exactly- well, what were you-"

Thinking fast, I answered, "Um, well, Mrs. Owens sent me from the office and I was about to knock when you walked over here and I got a little scared so I, well, fell."

Now the whole class collectively giggled.

"Alright, what did Mrs. Owens need?"

Oh. I didn't think of that one.

"Um… she told me Selena needed to come to the office for something."

"Did she not send a note?"

My heart pounded and sweat prickled my palms.

"She didn't say anything about one."

I held my breath as she seemed to think this over.

"Okay, Selena, you may go."

A nervous Selena stood up and walked over to the door. I waited till we were out of the line of sight of the class room before pulling her around a corner and leaning her against a wall.

"What are you doing?"

"Busting you out for a minute or two." I grinned as I leaned in.

Selena looked away and bit her lip anxiously while a frown lightly knitted her eyebrows.

Suddenly, my plan didn't seem so brilliant anymore.

"This morning you were… Is there anything wrong?" I asked, a little worried again.

"Demi…" she began, and slid out from under my arms and took a few steps away.

Concernedly, I reached out to touch her.

"Don't!" She held up a hand to stop me and looked around worriedly. She caught me confused gaze. "Look, I'm sorry, but someone could see.

Still, I took step towards her. I had an awful feeling where this was going as I asked cautiously, "I don't understand. Why would that matter?"

"I've been thinking and… well, neither one of us realized how serious this really is. Doing this would be a huge thing."

"Doing what?" I asked dryly.

"Being open, telling people and letting them know that we were… well, like this."

"So you want me to act like there's nothing between us, like we don't feel anything about each other."

My voice was flat.

"No, it's not that-"

"So we'll act like a couple and like we care about each other?"

"I can't," Selena said softly.

What happened to the brave, amazing Selena I had this weekend? Reaching for her, I took both of her hands in mine.

"Yes, you can. _We _can. We'll do this together, I'll be right here-"

"Demi, think! This could seriously change our lives. People look at…" Selena looked like she had trouble saying the next three words. "Gays and lesbians differently. Some people would hate us and reject us and it would make life so much harder."

She sounded stressed and desperate. Her words turned into a plea.

"Demi, I'm scared. Look, why can't we just… keep this between us and keep it quiet?"

"Because I can't lie about something this big!" I said, nearing a shout. Softening my voice, I came closer to Selena. "I want to be with you." I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "And I want to share the way I feel about you with everyone."

"Isn't us knowing how we feel enough?"

Right then, I saw it in her eyes. She wasn't going to take the plunge, not going to take this chance with me. She wasn't even going to think about it. We were at two different places. I was ready to be out and proud and to flaunt my sexuality, not hide it. I had been in the closet far too long and now, what other people would think was more important to Selena than accepting and not being ashamed of how we felt.

I was flooded with hurt and disappointment, then I hardened.

"I need more than that, Selena."

I pulled my hands away and started walking away from her. For a moment, I thought she might reach out and stop me, tell me she'd do anything for me and that she was ready to take on the world with me.

But she didn't and I kept walking, tears biting at my eyes. I thought that everything was going to be perfect, but things had just fallen apart. I fought the urge to run back and hold Selena and tell her I would stay in the closet a little while longer for her, but something made me keep putting one foot in front of the other. Maybe it was pride, maybe it was fear, maybe it was the desire to be able to be myself openly. Maybe it was all three.

As I stood in front of the Mr. Lewis' classroom, I just couldn't bring myself to go in. How could I just sit back down and pretend I was okay and nothing happened?

I slid down to the floor with my back on the wall and squinted as a bright ray of sun shone directly into my eyes.

As I closed my eyes, I wondered if Selena would ever be anything besides my past to me again.

She had given me hope, love, and my first taste of what it really meant to be gay.

A tear escaped my eye as I realized the truth.

They weren't made to last.

**Yeah. When I first wrote this, it made me sink into a miserable mood. I almost didn't post it since everyone seemed to love the cuteness but... this make it more real in my opinion.**

**Review? It's your last chance :**(


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